I often ski solo. As a result, I ride the lifts with all kinds of folks and hear some interesting stories and opinions. This past weekend was TeleFest and it brought in the free-heelers from all over California, including many from Lake Tahoe. The one common theme from the free-heel crowd was one of awe, and admiration of the assets of Bear Valley. I rode with many first time visitors, and to a person, they thought Bear Valley and surrounding areas absolutely fantastic! I was riding the lift with a Squaw Valley regular and he was talking about the “hour” of powder they had last Sunday. He was amazed to find pockets fresh snow still available on West Ridge!
On the other hand, I overheard some middle-aged ladies complaining about everything: the parking, Snow Valley was too icy, the lift was too slow, the lift attendant was checking tickets, etc. They said, “This would never happen at Squaw Valley!” I smiled and kept my thoughts to myself.
As regular users of the area, Do we take it for granted?
I don’t think so. I admire the beauty of it all with every run and every chairlift ride, with every hike!
